SYNOPSIS

Instant Dreams is a feature documentary by Willem Baptist (Wild boar, I’m Never Afraid!) about the fascination and love for Polaroids. When Polaroid announced the end of instant film in 2008, the last still working factory was bought by a small group of enthusiasts. Among them is the retired scientist Stephen Herchen who previously collaborated with the inventor of Polaroid and is still trying to unravel the secret of the lost chemical formula.

‘The magic of the photo that develops before your eyes’ – Trouw, ★★★★

“Baptist made such a film as a hallucinatory trip: A beautiful tribute to that enchanting medium.” – de Volkskrant, ★★★★

“Baptist links the chemical reaction that makes the polaroids come alive very nicely to the chemical satisfaction that these photos bring to our brains.” – Het Parool, ★★★★

In this overwhelming cinematic journey, Baptist introduces us to a number of quirky individuals who are connected to Polaroid in a special way: the German artist Stefanie Schneider, who does a photo shoot in the California desert with her last existing original Polaroid stock; New York Magazine editor Christopher Bonanos, who wrote a book about Polaroid’s history and tries to capture the relationship with his son with his instant camera; and a Japanese girl who first discovered the magic of Polaroid in Tokyo. Everyone tries to keep the instant dream alive in his or her way.

Slowly we also begin to feel the magic of Polaroids. Like the instant photos, we are chemical creatures full of unpredictable reactions. Eventually, the Polaroids in Instant Dreams are a metaphor for our desire to capture our dreams.

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In 1995 Pieter van Huystee started his own production company. Since then he has produced many film projects and international coproductions, most of them documentaries with renowned Dutch filmmakers such as Johan van der Keuken, Heddy Honigmann, Renzo Martens, Leonard Retel Helmrich, Boris Gerrets, Renzo Martens and young talented directors. Many of the documentaries and features are screened at festivals all over the world and have been awarded many times.